CULTURE OF WATER LILIES, ETC. 129 



lice, become troublesome on the Lily leaves. A some* 

 what new insecticide, which any one can prepare, has 

 proved effectual with us. It is called the kerosene emul- 

 gion, or kerosene butter, and is prepared as follows : Take 

 two parts of kerosene and one part of thick, sour milk ; 

 warm the latter (to blood heat only) ; put the two liquids 

 together, and agitate violently with a greenhouse syringe 

 or a force-pump. They will soon completely unite and 

 form a white, soapy mass. This kerosene butter mixes 

 readily with tepid water. One part of the butter should 

 be thoroughly mixed with fifteen parts of water, and ap- 

 plied to the infested leaves with a syringe. With us, one 

 application entirely destroyed the insects, without any in- 

 jury whatever to Nymphseas. A weaker solution of the 

 emulsion must be used on plants which are found to 

 be injured by the proportion above given. Experience 

 will be a guide in this matter. Very few applications of 

 the remedy will be needed during the season. Nelumbium 

 leaves are injured by the application of kerosene. To- 

 bacco water applied with a syringe, or tobacco dust shaken 

 on the leaves, is the best means for destroying aphides, 

 or plant lice, on these. 



DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. 



The Victoria Regia. This giant Water Lily of the 

 River Amazon is the grandest of all aquatics. See fig. 43, 

 That it may be successfully grown and flowered in the 

 open air in this latitude, we have proved beyond a doubt, 

 having done so for several seasons past. By this plan it 

 is treated as a tender annual. In winter or early spring 

 seeds are placed in water, kept uniformly at a tempera- 

 ture of from eighty to ninety degrees. After germinat- 

 ing they are potted and shifted on, as they require it. 

 Early in June a plant is placed in a bed of very rich soil 

 in a tank, fully exposed to the sun, and which can be 



